Hey, That Happened on Halloween Quiz

Answer: Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus has been given credit for "discovering America" but that honor may have its own points of contention. Even if Columbus was not the first European to explore the western world from Europe, his ventures definitely resulted in an initial infiltration. It would seem that much about Columbus would be uncertain. Controversy about Columbus did not stop with his death, as recent as the early part of the 21st century, DNA tests were done on samples of remains said to be those of Christopher Columbus.

Answer: The Castle Church

This landmark, The Castle Church, in Lutherstadt Wittenberg, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany has also been called All Saints' Church and Reformation Memorial Church. One casualty of the Seven Years' War, was fire damage - by the French assault - to this sight so important to the Protestant Reformation.

The fire damage was quickly repaired and further restoration continued for many decades. Martin Luther was buried in the Castle Church in Wittenberg.

Answer: Henry Hudson

During Henry Hudson's lifetime it was believed that there could be a waterway - off the northernmost part of North America - that would allow for water travel from the east coast of North America to Asia. Hudson was an accomplished seaman and explorer who made several trips through (among many other areas) what is now the large bay named in his honor - the Hudson Bay.

The Hudson Bay touches land in Canada is the second largest bay in the world (after the Bay of Bengal).

Answer: Pontiac

Several European countries saw the advantages of establishing a stronghold in the New World. The clashes for control led to war between France and Britain. Many of the native North American Indians supported the French in their efforts to establish colonies. Pontiac was able to garner much support for the French from those tribes in and around what is now known as the Great Lakes region.

His legend is not limited to his military endeavors. Pontiac was murdered in April 1769 with various accounts of the perpetrator and possible motives.

Answer: Ode on a Grecian Urn

As with much of his work, 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' did not garner critical acclaim during the author's lifetime. 'Ode on a Grecian Urn' is one of several poems that comprise the "Great Odes of 1819" - all by John Keats. Keats only lived to be 25 years old.

In his brief lifetime, though, both his father and mother had died. Also, for much of Keats' adult life his health was poor. His death is attributed to complications from (and, the improper treatment of) tuberculosis. It was the disease that had killed his own mother when John was 14 years old.

Answer: The Mississippi River

The Mississippi River provided an excellent waterway for transportation. By the mid 1800s steamboats were considered a very practical way to move both people and cargo. Not too much is known about the crash of the two boats on that October night. Records do indicate that the Monmouth was grossly overloaded with too many passengers.

More 700 Native American Indians from the Creek tribe were to be moved north as a part of their "relocation". Sad to realize that (possibly) more would have been learned about the accident if those passengers who lost their lives had been white.

Answer: Nevada

Although far removed - geographically speaking - from most of the actual fighting of the civil war, Nevada was clearly in support of the Union. The timing of Nevada's admission to the USA is said to have been "rushed" to assure the residents of the new state could vote for Abraham Lincoln in his re-election bid. That presidential election was less than two weeks after Nevada's official statehood. As the USA entered the 21st century, Nevada's niche was widely recognized as tourism due to the entertainment and gambling related businesses in and around Las Vegas (and to a lesser extent, Reno).

Answer: Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini was 39 years old when he begun his tenure as Prime Minister in an Italy that was at the time a democracy. Mussolini would abide by their constitution for only a few years until he was able to create a Fascist dictatorship. He became known as "Il Duce" or "the Leader".

His acquisition of such control was often viewed as the "by whatever means necessary" approach to his powerful position.

Answer: Nick Saban, Jr.

From his first assignment as a graduate assistant coach at Kent State in 1972 through the first fifteen years of the twenty-first century, Saban made a lot of stops as a football coach. Among the teams he coached - in various capacities - are Michigan State, the Houston Oilers, LSU, the Miami Dolphins and, as mentioned, Alabama. Saban had been with Alabama less than two full years when "Forbes" magazine published an article with the title, "The Most Powerful Coach in Sports". That was quite a moniker!

Answer: Satwant Singh

The two bodyguards responsible for Indira Gandhi's death, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh, were Sikh separatists. In June of 1984, Prime Minister Gandhi had ordered a military operation called Operation Blue Star that had established some control over the Sikh separatists' movement in India.

Her assassination was an act of vengeance for that for that plan and its objective. As for the fate of the two assailants, Beant Singh was shot to death by other bodyguards soon after his capture - the same day of the assassination. Satwant Singh was sentenced to death by hanging and was hanged on January 6, 1989.